The Agency for Persons with Disabilities claimed three awards during the Capital Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association’s Image Awards on April 23 in Tallahassee.
APD Director Jim DeBeaugrine and Communications Director Melanie Mowry Etters accepted the awards on behalf of APD during the ceremony. These are the first public relations awards that this agency has ever received.

The judges considered two entries on behalf of the agency. The entry for APD's Champion newsletter received the Award of Distinction---an honor that the Communications team shares with Webmaster Lloyd Harger. The other entry was for the agency's public awareness campaign promoting the employment of people with disabilities, which culminated with Disability Employment Awareness Month last October. It earned two awards---the Image Award, the highest award for the entry's category, and the Judges Award for producing a quality program with limited resources.

The APD Communications Office includes Etters, Jeff Saulich, and Jessica Trexler.